Find Me a Cure

Chapter 13: Falling

Everest explained that it was the perfect time to board a train because with all the people it would have been harder to spot us, or for CCTV to easily capture our whereabouts. I wasn't a hugely fond of vast crowds, but didn't mention this either.

As for the toilets, they were as disgusting as I expected them to be, and it was just the motivation I needed to change as fast as possible.

Folding the dress as neatly as a dress can be folded, I walked out, keeping it in my arms. I was strongly allured to the idea of dumping it in the cubicle, but figured it would be a dumb decision, that practically screamed "find me!"

Everest stood there waiting impatiently for my return, and when I did, he started walking off before I'd fully reached him. Charmer.

Despite, almost being swallowed by quicksand, he didn't bother with a new outfit, as I did. Turned out, he didn't need one, as Mother Nature had been kind enough to provide him with free laundry in the form of rain. Somehow, the universe always seemed to be on his side.

It was when we were at the ticket area when it dawned onto me that we didn't possess train tickets — neither could we buy any.

"How are we going to get through?" I hissed.

He look at me as if I were brain dead – so as he always looked at me. "Walk through with the stranger in front of you."

At first I presumed it was sarcasm talking, but soon realised he was being serious.

"But–but... that's illegal!"

"So is shoplifting, but here we are."

Okay, he had a point.

In the end, the whole boarding a train without a ticket thing wasn't really that big of a deal. Due to the rush hour, we were concealed like lions in a meadow, and besides, everyone was so busy getting to work, that no one really seemed to notice each other.

The train journey itself wasn't much to write home about. The windows; black. The lights; dim. The people; half dead.
My hand clasped a pole above my head, as the occasional jolt of the train swayed my body from side to side. Boarding the train, I found, you'd have more chance winning the lottery than finding a seat in this wretched metal tube.

Besides that, there was absolutely nothing to do, not a thing! In a place with no service and no scenery to stare out of the windows for, the most that these middle aged passengers could do was bury their heads in the morning newspaper.

The newspapers!

I must admit, I felt quite stupid for not recognising it sooner, but one glance at the front page of my neighbour's paper, sent my heart racing.

"A world without cancer, it's right at our fingertips."

That was the headline.

"202; not just a few numbers, rather the miracle we've waited on for centuries."

That was the stand-first.

And under it? A nice big image of me and Director at the launch evening, blanketing the entire page.

Calmly, I turned away from my neighbour – and half of the passengers on the train – to face Everest, who was standing behind me. The fact that he was able lean against the wall of this jerky train with his arms crossed, and still remain upright, proved what he really was: stone.

Keeping my head down for the sake of my security, I waited impatiently, as station after station passed by. However, the wait soon grew tedious – so tedious that my grip on the metal pole unconsciously relaxed. Big mistake, I came to realise a moment later, when the sudden acceleration of the blasted train sent me flying.